Pain is a temporary thing
by bballbabe1010
Summary: Tris drops everything to escape her past. A year later, she finds herself in California with a good job and a friend named Christina. The only problem is that she can't let go of her past. She lives her life in a routine, to try to distract herself, but can someone change that? Read to see what happens.
1. Chapter 1

**Pain is a temporary thing**

I open my eyes to a bright sun, but it's too bright. I hear the birds chirping their little songs, but it's too loud. I smell the salt water as it runs along the shore, but it just doesn't smell like I remember it. I feel the sand rub against my body, but it just feels grainy and gritty. Nothing is the same anymore and I don't know how to get everything back.

You see, I left everything behind-family, friends, and best friends-because of him. His name is Al. And Al is the cause of all of my problems, or at least I like to blame it on him. It just makes everything easier. Because if I truly owned up to it, I know everything is my fault. I really didn't have to drop everything because of him, I chose to.

So now I'm here, on an abandoned beach in California with a glass bottle shoved in the sand and my last victim wondering where I wandered off to. Usually, as soon as they go to sleep-which happens around 3 or 4 in the morning- I make my way back to my sandy haven. I've been doing this for about one and a half years on every single Saturday. Every other day I'm busy with work, but Saturday is my free day.

Nobody was surprised when I dropped everything to come here. It was kind of expected, or at least that's what I've been told. I was always so uptight. There was never a strand of hair out of place, everything was organized, and I had everything under control. Everyone was just waiting for me to break. I swore I never would break, that I would be different, that I was strong enough to _always_ be perfect. But that was completely idiotic of me to ever think that. Though, I never would have imagined to break the way I did. I would've expected a full out explosion, as would everyone, but instead all that happened was a few whispered words and a plane to Cali.

So that's pretty much me: a broken girl with no friends or family, only a job to keep her entertained. I guess I'm okay with that now. Not much I can do to change it.

I pull myself off the sand. I fell asleep out here again. I look down at my Fitbit and see that it's almost seven in the morning. I sprint to my small cape cod and rush around, trying to get ready for work.

 _I'm gonna be late!_

I run out of my house in a black pencil skirt and a purple blouse. As soon as I get to my car, I throw open the door and speed out of my driveway. I drive past all the cars I see. Some beep at me, I get flipped off a few times, and people are yelling but I don't care. Work is the only thing on my mind right now.

My clock blinks 7:15 as I pull into the parking lot. _I'm late._

I hurry into the front door and run by our secretary, Mary. She smiles and waves but all I can spare is a little grin in return.

I throw open a glass door to reveal a meeting going on. I duck my head and quickly go to my seat.

"Nice of you to join us." My friend Christina whispers.

"Late night." I mumble back.

"Hmm really? Who'd you do this time?" She smirks.

"I don't know." I whisper back.

She snorts. "Typical." She murmurs.

"Shut up. Terri's looking at us." I warn and quickly turn my head towards the tall, white haired man.

He goes on and on about our company's financial state and how to improve our business. Our company is fine just the way it is. No need for improvements.

"I'm considering cutting some of our agents." Terri mentions.

"You're going to cut some of your employees?" I ask.

"Possibly, we're considering it." He responds.

"I don't think that's a good idea."

"What do you mean?" He questions me.

"Well those charts show our income in the past five years, right?" He nods his head. "Well then it looks like we've been improving a lot."

"But not enough. And cutting employees is our quickest solution."

"How much do you pay your employees on average per year?"

"Hmm… a rough estimate would be around $50,000."

"And each agent is making you at least $60,000, right?"

"That's correct."

"So why would you take away your main benefactors? If you drop your agent you'll probably wind up losing a lot more money than you are now."

"True…" Terri pauses to consider this. "What would you suggest we do, Tris?"

I turn my head towards Christina and raise my eyebrows hoping that she'll help me. She just shrugs her shoulders.

"Umm…" I pause. Then I think of an idea. "Work on your advertisements. Advertising is everything. And get some training for our new agents. We need them prepared to start bringing in the big bucks." I state.

"Is that it?"

"Yes?" I answer like a question.

"Okay then, give me a pitch next Monday I want all the pros and cons: tell me why that's a better idea than cutting some people." He rubs his chin. "Anyone have any other ideas?" He grumbles.

He's not used to being told what to do.

The room is silent. After another half an hour of him talking, Terri finally dismisses us.

"Thank God, I thought it would never end." Christina groans as we walk out of the building.

"I know, I'm honestly so glad we're out of there. I didn't know how much more I could stand." I rolled my eyes.

"I know girl!" Chris laughs. "Wanna get lunch?"

"Sure." I respond.

We walk straight ahead to the only place we ever go to: Aroma Mocha. It's a small cute café across from our workplace that we fell in love with the day we first walked in.

After ordering our food, we find a seat and wait for our coffees and food to come.

"So, tell me about last night." Christina leans on the table.

"Eh, nothing really changes. I meet a hot guy, we go back to his house, and I wind up waiting till he falls asleep to leave." I tell her.

"Nothing new? You're not gonna go see him again?" She asks.

"Chris, you know me. A one night stand is strictly one night. I never contact them afterward."

She sighs. "Yeah. You know I'm all for a little fun, but don't you just want to have _one_ guy to be with, like ever?"

"I'm fine with how my life is right now. No need to have a guy come and mess it up." Christina frowns at my response. "Speaking of, how's Will?" I change the subject.

Her eyes light up at the mention of his name.

"He's great! It's our 6 month tomorrow!" She squeals.

"Aw, is he going to get you anything?"

"How would I know?" She laughs.

We continue talking and our food finally comes. I leave to go home a little later. I let out a sigh and plop onto my couch. I fall asleep, too tired to let the fear of my old memories keep me up. But I should know better, they always haunt me.

 _I hurry home from work, excited to finally see Al. We haven't been able to hang out in a while, he's been so busy. But I've decided to surprise him tonight. I reach his door and reach under the welcome mat for the key. I quietly slide past the door and look around to see if he's here._

 _He must still be at work. He's been working so hard lately. I wonder why?_

 _I walk over to the counter and see a jewelry magazine on the counter. It's flipped open to page with a diamond studded ring as the main focus._

 _Is… is he going to propose?_

 _I jump up and down in excitement. No wonder he's been working so much! He needs money for a ring! I imagine our lives together: what our wedding will look like, what our next house will be, how many kids we'll have… everything._

 _My thoughts are interrupted by a loud moan down the hallway. I walk towards it, grabbing a knife from the drawer on my way. Is someone here? I walk towards the room where it's coming from… Al's bedroom. It couldn't be… he wouldn't… is that Al?_

 _Another loud moan comes from the room. I creep over on the tips of my toes and peer around the door._

 _I stand in shock. I cannot move. My eyes stay glued to his brown hair as I hear him moan in pleasure. His lips are attached to a red haired, curvy woman's. He continues to moan and whispers sweet nothings into her ear. I hear him say the same thing that he always said to me: I love you._

 _I drop the knife from my hand and tears cloud my eyes. Al turns over, startled from the noise._

 _His mouth drops and he shoves her off her lap._

" _Tris…" He whispers._

 _I turn and start to run. His hand grabs my bicep and he turns me to face him._

" _I'm sorry." He speaks, out of breath._

" _Let me go." I whisper._

" _Tris. Tris, look I love you okay? That didn't mean anything." He smiles in assurance._

 _I stay silent. He pulls me in for a hug, but I keep my body as straight as a wooden board._

 _He cheated on me._

" _See? It's as if nothing happened. We're meant to be together, so don't let my little mistake get in the way of us."_

 _He. Cheated. On. Me._

" _I hate you." I whisper almost silently._

" _No. No, babe I love you!" He exclaims._

" _Don't lie to me. You at least owe me that." I say in a deadly quiet tone and walk out the door, tears threatening to spill over._

" _Tris wait! I do love you! Please listen to me!" Al shouts after me._

" _We're over Al!" I yell back and run away before he can catch me. I sprint, tears blinding me, until I arrive back at my apartment. I fall to the floor and curl into a ball. It hurts so much. I scream in pain. I pull at my chest but it won't stop the heartache. I can't stop crying. My heart beats ten times faster than normal, but it just feels broken. Because of Al. I'm broken because of Al._


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey guys! So I finally got the time to update the story! Do you think I should do Tobias and tris pov or just keep tris's? Because if you guys want both, I'll have to start labeling chapters with whose pov it is. Thank you all for the reviews and follows! It makes me so happy to see what you have to say! :) So for the next chapters I'm considering adding some of your reviews like I do in my other story. Respond back whether or not you think I should. I'm sorry if the grammar in this chapter sucks.. I'm updating from my phone. :/ Hope you enjoy chapter 2!**

My morning starts with dry tears. Re-living the same dream every time I fall asleep is painful. It just makes everything hurt. I close my eyes, take a breath, and pull myself out of bed. The room starts to spin. It looks like a hardwood carousel from a carnival. I grasp for my bedside table as a way to stabilize my body. A few drops of sweat form on my forehead, but I just wipe them off and dizzily make my way to the closet.

My alarm clock screams at me to get out of bed, but I've already been awake for twenty minutes. I mumble on about waking up when the timer rings, not before it. My feet trudge around my room as I prepare for the day ahead, letting the clock blare out its constant wake up call. Without giving my alarm a second glance, I find an outfit for work. I really don't want to go. The first top I find is thrown onto my body, along with some uncomfortable bottom that doesn't match. I walk as slow as a sloth out the front door with a bed head and an unplanned outfit but I can't find the energy to care.

Once I get to the front door of the building, I groan with discontent. Why do I have to be here today?

Christina rushes out of the office's doors and hurriedly slides into the passenger seat of my car.

"Hey girlie!" She squeals.

"Not in the mood." I grumble.

"Tris! I need to talk! Please just be a girl for a second and listen!" She pleads with a tone of excitement escaping her voice.

"Okay." I say whilst I wrap my finger around my hair.

"Will proposed!" She screams.

"He didn't!" I shout back.

"Yessss he did!" She comments back.

"When? Where? Tell me every single detail!" I question.

"Remember the coffee shop we met at?"

Christina continues to explain what occurred. She's 22 and engaged. I'm 22 and lonely. No boyfriend, no guy friends, no nothing. All the men I meet just aren't right. I was sure Al was the one, but that's what I get for letting my guard down. I can't help but be a little jealous by Christina's quick engagement. I haven't had a real relationship since him. I can't say that I made much of an effort to change that, but in my defense, nobody's interested in me anyways. All they care about is sex.

We go into work and start our day by writing a report. Sounds fun, right? Hours pass by, each one consisting of boring paperwork and a splitting headache. Finally, Chris taps me on the shoulder and pulls me out of my thoughts. She tells me it's time to close up shop and I can't help but celebrate. Today felt like it lasted forever. I hurry home and change into a pair of flowy shorts and a cream tank top. I slide on a pair of sandals and walk out the back door. I make my way through a trail from my backyard. It goes on with many turns and bends until i arrive at my destination. The waves crash quickly like they're trying to warn me of a coming storm. The wind howls and whips my hair into my face. The sky is so dark grey that it's almost black. But I don't mind. This is my haven. I walk forward and put my feet along the edge of the water. I sit down in the sand, just far enough away from the waves that they can only brush my toes. A sigh is released from my lungs and I let the run through my hair. The weather does not seem good, but today I honestly could care less. Everything here is just comfortable. I'm content knowing that this beach is my spot; somewhere no one else knows about.

The bushes behind me distract my mind as they start to rustle. I don't think I've ever see any animals around here, but hopefully its just a rabbit, I turn from the bush and face the water again. Dark grey, like the sky, it warns me. I don't know how or why, but the waves seem angry. I scrunch my nose and shake my head. I must be delusional. I turn my head back to the bushes behind me; there aren't anymore sounds coming from that general area. The wind whips my blonde locks in front of my eyes, like it's trying to block my from seeing something. I pull the strands back behind my ears and see a man. He stands close to me, with a black hoodie on and sun glasses covering his eyes. His cropped brown hair is slightly peeking out from underneath his hood and he turns to face me. From what I can see, he is very attractive. His mouth has a full lower lip and a square upper lip. As I look closer, I notice a small scar on his chin. I move my gaze downwards. He has a lean but muscular build. He's very tall and it just adds to his good looks. I raise my eyebrows at him and his mouth starts to move but I don't hear any words.

"Well?" He grumbles.

"What?" I ask him.

"Are you going to leave, or do I have to sit down with you here?" He questions with annoyance. What did I do to him?

"I'm not moving. You can go find someone else to bother if I'm really that much of a problem." I retort with an eye roll.

I'm disgusted. He walks onto my beach and is angry at me? If he couldn't tell, I was trying to sit in peace, without being interrupted. He walks over next to me and sits about a foot away from me. I mentally groan and turn to look back at the ocean. How did he even find this place. I've always been the only one here. Always. I thought it was secluded.

"Look, I'm sorry. I had no reason to flip on you. I'm just extremely stressed right now. Especially when seeing someone while I was trying to avoid people. It wasn't the greatest surprise I could think of." The man says with a deep voice.

"I get it, it's just that kind of day." I nod back at him.

He smiles and turns back towards the water. It's surprisingly comforting having him next to me.

"Why are you wearing sunglasses? It's really dark out." My voice comes out before I have a chance to stop it.

"Why are you wearing a tank top when it's so cold?" He fires back.

"Touché." I mumble.

He smirks at my agreement. We both stop talking and think to ourselves. He seems much happier than when he say down.

I start to wonder who he is. I think about asking, but decide not to interrupt our comfortable silence. I turn my head to him, wondering what he's thinking. He sits on the sand, quietly running his hand through the small grains. He turns his head to face me. It is only then that I realize he took off his sunglasses. His eyes are so dark blue, so dark that they are almost black. As I look into his eyes, I feel like everything makes sense, like the world is at peace. I can't bring myself to look away. His navy orbs are swallowing me whole, and I think I like it.

"Do I know you?" I ask quietly.

"Oh... um no. No." He finally breaks the eye contact and clears his throat.

"Well then, I'm Tris." I say. I reach out my hand to shake his. When our hands touch, a chill runs down my spine. My eyes widen and I look at his eyes again. _Who is this man?_

"Tobias." He responds to my greeting with a sweet smile. He pulls his hand off the sand and looks at the watch on his right arm.

Tobias's face creases with an emotion I can't read. Then he slowly stands up.

"It was nice meeting you, Tris, but I really have to leave." A frown crosses his face.

"Okay." My voice is laced with disappointment.

"Can I see you again?" He asks. "I need to make up for how rude I was earlier."

"If you can find me." I say with a smirk.

"Is that a challenge?" His voice grows playful.

"I guess it is." I shrug while the smile spreads on my face.

"Okay. Well, then I guess I'll see you soon." He shows his teeth with an adorable grin and adds a wink.

"Good luck with that. I'm a tough girl to find." I say.

"I found you once without trying, imagine how much easier it'll be the next." He pauses. "Besides, you're pretty hard to miss."

My heart jumps and I flash a shy smile.

"Goodbye, Tobias."

"See you soon, Tris."

I watch as he walks away. Though we didn't talk much, I feel like Tobias and I have known each other forever. I shake my head and stand up. What's wrong with me?


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey guys I'm back with another update! Thanks for the reviews! Hope you all enjoy chapter 3!**

 _2 months later_

"Tris!" A voice calls out.

"What's up, Chris?" I respond.

"I just wanted to say hi to my favorite maid of honor." Christina says innocently.

"There's only one maid of honor." I state blatantly, currently more absorbed in my work than her.

"Exactly." She smirks.

"What do you want?" I ask.

She's obviously up to something. You can just see it in her face.

"Well, you see..."she trails off "You know how we planned to have our wedding in that barn?"

"Yes..."

"Will and I decided that idea was too basic. Everyone's doing those 'Pinterest themed' ideas for their wedding. Then I started thinking... what if we have it at the Navy Pier? Do you know where that is?" She questions.

"Yeah." I respond hesitantly.

"I know it's in Chicago, but you probably won't see anyone there right?"

She knows that everything I'm running from is there. She knows, but obviously doesn't care.

"Chris!" I groan.

"Please! It's gorgeous!" She pleads.

"You know I used to go there as a kid? It's closed down now."

"I know it's closed down. Will and I are already planning to make reservations, unless you don't want me to. We can get it cleaned up a little, and who knows, it might just turn out to be the best wedding the world has ever seen!" She exclaims while spreading her arms out wide, like a bird.

"Ok.." I agree.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" She squeals.

I hug her and she starts to tell me about all her plans about the amusement park. What she doesn't know is that my family lives thirty minutes away from it. And Al only lives ten minutes away from Navy Pier. But this isn't my wedding, so I can't make any part of this about me. I want her to be happy.

"Chris...", I stumble upon a thought,"How are your guests going to get to Chicago?"

"There are only a few we invited from California. Believe it or not, Will and I both have family from Chicago. So all we have to do is buy a couple extra plane tickets and we'll be good to go!" She informs me.

"Who are you inviting from Cali?"

"Just a few friends from work. Oh and Tori." She says.

Tori is a tattoo artist we met about 9 months ago. We all hit it off right away and became immediate friends. Ever since, we'll each make time to go get coffee. We call each other the three amigos.

"What about Will?" I inquire.

"A few friends from work too. Oh and he mentioned bringing Four." She states.

"Four? Like _the_ Four?" I say stunned.

"Yeah apperently. I mean, I don't mind at all. That man is the sexiest human being alive!"

"Christina! You're getting married!" I shout teasingly.

"A girl can dream!" She yells back with a wink.

Four is well known actor around America. He is so gorgeous, girls will watch his movies just to see his face. His most intriguing feature is his eyes. They are the deepest blue I have ever seen, almost black. Tobias's name pops up in the back of my mind but I shake it off. We haven't seen each other since that one night, but I can't stop thinking about him.

Of course the only guy I would consider being with is probably gone.

 _3 months after_

The plane ride to Chicago felt extremely long. Especially since I was dreading our arrival. Christina and her friends from California took a separate plane than Will so they wouldn't see each other the day of the wedding. That was Tori's idea.

"You ready?" I ask Christina with a small smile.

"As ready as I'll ever be." She mumbles back.

She squeezes my hand lightly and we make our way to the hotel.

Once we arrive, we immediately start to prepare for the wedding. Christina helps me apply my makeup as Tori does her hair. The other bridesmaids are sharing the room next to us. Then Tori and I both work with Christina's makeup. After applying thick eyeliner over her champagne eyeshadow, we start to work on getting her fake lashes on. Finally, we move to her lips and I put a light rose color on them.

We fit her into her dress and walk out of our hotel room after a few hours. My navy blue bridesmaid dress is floor length. It also has a sweetheart neckline. He dress has a form-fitting bodice until it reaches my waist, where it flows out. My hair is lightly curled and falls down over my shoulders to my lower back. I'm wearing more makeup than I would regularly, but not that much if I'm comparing myself to Christina. My heels add a few inches to my height, and if I'm being honest, I really like it. We make our way out of the hotel and leave in a Limo for Navy Pier. Chris made us take such an extravagant vehicle because she wanted to make a "Grand Entrance".

Once we arrive, I turn over to Chris and grab the train on her dress. She's wearing a white ballgown dress with lace and a few sequins decorating the upper half of her gown.

The music starts to play and I enter first. I walk down the wooden flooring that looks similar to a boardwalk. People sit on either side of me and watch intently. I see so many eyes on me. It isn't until I reach the end of the aisle that I start to stutter my steps. Why? A pair of deep blue orbs have me entranced. Four's eyes. They're even more piercing in person.

I struggle to pay attention as the wedding goes on. Four is so distracting. No wonder girls fawn over him, the man is literally a magnet.

Then, Christina starts to walk down the aisle. Her body is draped in white. The ballgown dress flows elegantly over her curves. With every step Christina takes, the dress seems to follow her gracefully. Everyone's eyes are glued to her as she makes her way towards Will. But instead of watching her as she continues, I turn to Will. His face says it all. He has a smile so large that it looks like it's about to come off his face. His eyes are slightly watering, though he looks like he's trying his hardest to hold it back. They're going to be so happy together.

I hold back a laugh when I see Christina almost trip. Some of the boards on the pier have holes. She finally gets to Will. Will latches his hands onto Chris's. Then, after a long speech, they are told to say their vows. Christina has her vows written on a paper and quickly pulls them out.

"Will, I couldn't imagine a life without you. Throughout our time together, you have been my rock. Through good and bad, you've kept me steady with a gentle hand. I know I wouldn't be able to survive without you. I've tried so many times to express how much I love you, but words aren't enough to tell you how I feel. You are a mature, kind man. You are a genius and you work well with anything and everything you do. You are understanding yet not overbearing. You're athletic but not cocky. You're funny but you don't try too hard to impress me. You are the perfect man for me and I'm dumbfounded on how I ever found such an amazing person. And you're also athletic!" She says with a wink. "I promise to love you through-" Christina continued on with her speech, tears running out her eyes. I couldn't bare to listen anymore. I would end up crying if I did. So instead, I turn my head to look at our surroundings, as a distraction. I see all the small rides I used to play on as a child. Then I see the Ferris wheel. This wheel meant so much more to me than anything else here. It was where I came when something went wrong, even after the Navy Pier was closed. I would climb the ladder on the side and just think. I was alone up in that wheel and I loved it.

Time passes by until they finally put the golden rings onto their fingers. Then, Will is told to kiss his bride. With a grin, he leans in then dips her as the kiss grows deeper. They end their kiss with a quick peck and laugh. I can see the relief in their features. Christina grabs onto Will's hand and pulls him down the aisle in a full sprint. We all laugh and clap and the bridesmaids and I follow behind.

Christina wanted all of us to be recognized, so she had all the bridesmaids and groomsmen wait in a line in the front of the reception. We had to wait to go onto the dance floor until we were announced. I was paired up with Will's groomsman, Peter. Apperently they'd known each other since they were born, so it was kind of mandatory that Will chose Peter as his groomsman, but I just don't like him. He seems snobby and uptight. And not to mention rude. This guy has commented on every single flaw that he can see. It's extremely annoying. Finally, my thoughts are interrupted by a loud voice speaking. I hear the names "Tris Prior and Peter Hayes"

He grabs my arm and tugs me hard as we start to walk forward, like I was oblivious to the fact that they called our names. I roll my eyes at him and move ahead of him. I'm not going to walk with someone like him. I won't deal with it.

He mumbles something rude and I shake it off. Who cares what that snob says.

After what feels like forever, even though we only took about twenty steps, we get to the dance floor. The DJ is playing some upbeat music. I turn over to him and start dancing, for the sake of Chris's wedding, not that I want to. He joins in but keeps a straight face. Can't he have any fun?

"Lighten up." I whisper as we dance to entertain the audience.

"Don't tell me what to do." He growls.

"Peter, this isn't your wedding, don't ruin it for anyone else." I mumble.

"Great. You should've thought about that before you ditched me on the way over here." He responds with anger filling his voice.

I just shake my head, completely aggravated, and continue to dance with a fake smile. We finally finish dancing once the rest of the group gets to the dance floor. We're dismissed and told to get food.

I am served a delicious meat with a small garnishing on top. I dig in and am soon finished with a full stomach.

I decide to go check out the Ferris wheel, we are at Navy Pier after all. The night masks most of the rides, so I move carefully on my way to the Ferris wheel.

It's been so long. I haven't been to this place since I was about 15. My favorite part about this entire amusement park was the Ferris wheel. It always made me feel free, like I could conquer anything. But now I'd assume that it's closed down. It couldn't possibly work anymore. Memories cloud my mind as I walk by the carousel that I rode when I was young. It isn't long before I arrive at the large ride. It towers above the ground, old and rusted. I take hold of one of the ladder rungs. Quickly, I pull my body up, moving step by step. The wind pulls at my blonde locks and whips them behind my shoulders. My heels start to slip on the old ladder, so I quickly pull them off. The smell of cotton candy and popcorn overflow in my nostrils. Loud carnival music plays as the circular attraction spins slowly. Joy floods my heart. I haven't thought of these memories in forever. I honestly couldn't remember them until now. I slowly start my climb again, bare feet pressing off the cold, metal bars.

"Hey!" A deep voice yells from underneath me.

My body jolts in surprise. I turn down and see a man on the dark pavement. He's wearing a black suit for the wedding, so he's not a security guard. He seems so far away from where I am standing. I must've climbed higher than I thought.

"What are you doing up there?" The voice returns.

"What's it look like?" I shout in response.

"Looks like suicide to me!" He manages to holler sarcastically.

"Why? You afraid?" I joke back.

"No! I just didn't plan to die anytime soon!" He laughs loudly.

"Neither do I!" I exclaim. "Come up with me! It'll be fun!" I motion to him with the hand that's holding my silver heels.

"Why?" He lets out.

"Why not?" I yell back.

"A great motto to live by!" He hollers. I can't tell whether or not it's sarcasm but I couldn't care less. I feel so free.

The man slowly eases his way up to me, then when he's about ten feet away from my body, I start to climb again.

"Why do you like this?" He asks breathily.

"I love it! It's so freeing being up here. Don't you like it?" I answer in pure joy.

"Not particularly." He responds quietly.

"You're afraid of heights." I state.

"Everyone's afraid of something." He speaks.

Quickly, I scan over him. It's hard to make out what he looks like, since I'm currently climbing a ladder, but he has a muscular build and stern face from what I can see. "It looks like you wouldn't be afraid of anything." I honestly tell him.

Before he can answer, a rush of wind slams against my body. I loose my grip of the slippery rung. It feels like I'm in slow motion as I start to fall backwards. This is the end. I should've been more afraid before. I shouldn't have come up here. What was I thinking? My last foot leaves the rung but suddenly a warm hand shoves me forward. He holds his hand on my waist to steady my body. I should be scared from a fall that could've killed me, but all I can concentrate on is his hand. His long fingers snake around my hip, his palm placed lightly against my skin. He radiates warmth and I don't want him to let go. He slowly moves his hand away and I turn to look at his face, to see the man who saved me. His eyes are colored in dark blue. They reflect the moon yet seem to look like an ocean. These orbs seem like they hold all of his secrets. His hair is gelled back and his face glows in the moon's light. He almost looks like Tobias. But it couldn't be...

"Four?" I ask.

He sighs. "Yeah."

"Do I know you?" I question.

He raises his eyebrow quizzically.

"No, no. I mean did we meet before? You look oddly familiar." I state awkwardly.

What am I supposed to say? I pretty much just asked Four if he was Tobias. Two different men! I honestly can't stand myself. He probably thinks I'm an idiot.

Four hesitates. He then quickly tries to recover by saying, "I don't think so."

"Oh... sorry." I respond.

It got awkward so quickly. Why did I have to say anything?

"It's all good. I get that sometimes." He chuckles.

"I wonder why?" I giggle, glad to be back to our fun banter.

"I always ask myself that!" He continues to laugh heartily.

"It must be the hair! I've definitely seen it before!"

"Oh! Of course!" He smacks his forehead. "Why didn't I think of that before?"

We continue to laugh and joke around.

Soon enough, we reach the top of the ladder. I move over to sit down and he finds his way next to me.

"So, Tris, tell me about yourself." He casually speaks.

"Tris..?" I draw out slowly.

"Yeah... that's your name." He replies.

"But I never told you that." I counter.

He mumbles a cuss word under his breath.

"Yeah. Um... Will told me about you."

"What'd he say?" I asked curiously.

"Just that you're pretty cool. He told me that I should try to meet you, so here I am." He explains.

"And now that you met me..." I start to hesitate.

"I agree completely with him." He grins.

A smile breaks out on my lips. Red slowly starts to tint my cheeks. How can a few words affect me so much?

"I think you're pretty cool too, ya know, for being famous and all." I joke with him.

"Well isn't that kind of you?" Four elbows my side lightly with a grin growing on his face.

"Extremely." I whisper back. "I thought you were afraid of heights."

"I am." He states.

"Then why aren't you acting like it?"

"You're a good distraction. I forgot that I was up here while I was talking to you." He comments, his breath starting to grow more labored.

"Sorry for reminding you." I say with a grimace.

"No problem." He smiles while trying to be casual. It seems fake.

"We should probably go back to the wedding now." I whisper with my eyes focused on the full moon.

"I think so too." He mumbles back.

"Okay." I barely say. It's hard to find the motivation to get up. I don't want to leave.

Four moves his muscled arms shakily towards the ladder. He turns his back and slowly starts to climb down. I follow him slowly, not prepared to go down. The ladder feels longer than before. It feels like forever before we reach the ground, and once we finally do, I'm forced to put on my six inch heels. We walk side to side on our way back to the wedding. I ask him about how his life is going and he elaborates on the question, telling me that it's busy and explains why. Apperently, Four is working on a new movie right now. He says it's a sappy romance. I giggle after he groans in disgust. He tells me that's what the people love and I agree. Then, we finally notice the lively couple take the dance floor from a distance. We must've been out longer than I thought. Four and I maneuver our way through a crowd of people. We find a spot along the edge of the dance floor and watch as Christina and Will slowly spin to the song being played by their DJ. I sigh contently from the joy I see in Christina's eyes. She loves him so much. I turn over to look at Four and see the same reaction on his face. He's happy for the couple. You can just see it in his features.

Soon enough, a new song starts to play softly. I look over at Four. He seems so peaceful. A few couples move onto the floor to join the newly married pair in a dance. I turn back over to the actor's face only to see his dark orbs staring directly into mine. In a fast motion, he moves his hand to mine and intertwines our fingers. His arms jolt and in a split second I'm being pulled out onto to the dance floor. Four gives me a sly grin and I laugh with an unbreakable smile on my face.

He wraps his thick arms around my waist and, in turn, I lift my wrists up to wrap around his neck. Our feet take small steps, our bodies swaying in one motion. It's only Four and I, no one else. Our eyes are connected. He doesn't move his attention to anyone else, just me, plain, old me. A soft smile plays on his face. I realize that I hadn't noticed the little dimples on his cheeks before, they're adorable. Then his eyes darken. He leans in and places his lips upon mine. I can't focus on anything else but him. He slowly moves his soft mouth against mine. I push back lightly against his. Then, I pull away with the realization that many people are watching us dance. I bat my lashes shyly at him, keeping eye contact the entire time. He pulls his forehead to mine and we just rest against each other, dancing. It isn't until then that I notice the song playing in the background.

 _I don't dance, but here I am_

 _Spinning you around and around in circles_

 _It ain't my style, but I don't care_

 _I'd do anything with you anywhere_

 _Yes, you got me in the palm of your hand_

 _'Cause, I don't dance_


	4. Chapter 4

**Sorry for such a long wait. I've been really busy. But here's chapter 4 for you! Tell me what you think!**

My morning starts out like every other: early. But instead of dreading the day ahead of me, I move with a skip in my step and a song in my head. The same song from the wedding night. I arrived home from Chicago last night. We stayed an extra day before leaving, and Four and I spent some time together while we were with the group. He truly is an amazing person.

But he's also an actor. I keep on having to remind myself that. Actors are the best liars, so I can't fall for him, or else I'll be played. I have no doubt that dating an actor would end bad... but when I'm with Four everything just seems different. He's real, honest, and funny. But all these things could be a facade. I need to remember that.

My thoughts continue on, making the time I spent with him worsen in my imagination. I still manage to stay happy, though objections still fill my head.

Another minute passes and the clock reveals that I should probably leave for work. I walk out to my car, put it in drive, and start my day. Once I arrive at the office, I walk through the doors whilst greeting everyone I pass. Today will be a good day, I can tell. Time passes as I do research on my computer. Eventually lunch comes, and I decide to go out to eat. Since Chris is away, I will have to go out alone, but that doesn't bother me too much. I decide to go to our favorite café: Aroma Mocha.

Once I arrive, I groan at the length of the line ahead of me. There is at least a five person wait, and I only have a 40 minute lunch break. The bell dings behind me and I feel sorry for the person behind me. They'll have to wait not only for the people ahead of me, but also for me, to order food. I turn and look at the person behind me. He stands tall and had a navy blue hoodie on with shorts and sunglasses. He leaves both his hood up and his sunglasses on, which I find strange, but I'm not one to judge. I turn away from him and look at the people ahead of me yet again. The line has only moved up by one person. I turn back again when I hear the door jingle. The person that walks in doesn't interest me, so I look to the man directly behind me. He still stands with his hoodie and glasses on. I realize only then that his sunglasses look extremely firmiliar. I turn away so I'm not staring, but I still try to remember where I saw those glasses. I think back through the past few weeks but I can't remember who it is. Then I think back a few months and realize I've only seen them once, the only time I've seen him.

I look back once more. I know for sure that it's him.

"Tobias?" I say quietly.

"Tris?" He whispers back.

"It is you!" I exclaim.

"Told you I'd find you." He remarks.

"I guess I'm not as hard to find as I thought." I giggle.

"Or maybe you're just hard to miss." Tobias replies.

I give him a small smile.

"What are you doing here?" I ask.

He gives me a sarcastic grin and gestures to the room.

"Hmmm... what could i possibly be doing here?"

"Oh shut up!" I laugh, "I meant what are you doing at this café. I've never seen you here before, and I come here a lot."

"Oh... I'm actually here for work. Like not the café but the area." He replies.

"So you're not staying in town?" I try to hide the disappointment in my voice. There's no reason for me to be dejected, I've only talked to him once before.

"No, but I'll be staying for two more months! My job moves around a lot so it's very rare for me to stay in one place for a long time... even if I want to." He almost seems to hint at something.

"Hm that must be hard. What kind of job moves someone around so often?" I question more to myself then him.

"Apperently mine." He snorts almost sarcastically.

I don't have a chance to say another word because I've finally reached the front of the line. I look back at him apologetically for cutting off our conversation. He just smiles lightly and waves it off. I quickly take my order and find my usual seat in the corner at a two-person table. Christina and I always have to wait for our orders for at least five minutes.

Soon enough, Tobias takes a seat in the chair across from me. My bored demeanor lightens just because of his presence. Why am I so taken by him? He smiles at me and I smile back, blown away by his gorgeous grin.

"Ya know, every time I see you, you're wearing sunglasses."

"We've only seen each other twice." He responds almost defensively.

"Yeah but still, you got something against showing your face?" I joke.

"Nope." He says shortly.

"Okay..."

Tobias looks away and I realize how quickly my happiness died.

Our food is served to us and the silence between us is unbearable. I play with my food for a little bit before I decide to talk again.

"So you never told me, what do you do for a living?" I attempt to start the conversation.

"Oh you know, just regular business stuff." He responds without a care in the world.

"Normal business 'stuff' doesn't move someone around all the time, Tobias. What do you do in business?" I giggle a little at this.

"Well right now I'm working with actors. Like we're kind of the background of the movie production." He states.

"That actually sounds really interesting. Is it as fun as it sounds?" I ask.

"Sometimes it is... other times not so much."

"Why not?" I question.

"So many people get star struck that it gets really hard to work with. Especially when you work with the A-list celebrities." He rolls his eyes at this.

"That does seem hard. What celebrities do you work with?"

"Well right now I'm working with the actors from that romance movie. I think the actress's name is Jenna." He says casually.

I draw in a deep breath and turn my head down.

"Yes I know. That means I'm working with Four too." He groans, annoyed.

"No, no. I'm not going to freak out about him. It's just a weird situation." I mumble the last part kind of awkwardly.

Of course both the guys that I have an interest in are working together. It's just my luck.

"What do you mean?" He scrunches his eyebrows in confusion.

I groan. How do I go about telling someone that I'm not only interested in him, but also the man he works with.

"Well, I met you a little while back and you're so funny and smart and just generally fun to be around." _Don't forget attractive_ , "But then I also met Four soon after."

Tobias looks at me oddly."So you know Four?"

"Yes."

"Okay. Keep going." He gestures for me to continue talking.

"Like I said, I met Four. At a wedding no less, which couldn't make anything more romantic." I stated feeling very uncomfortable telling Tobias all this.

"Are you saying that you have feelings for Four?" He cautiously enquirers.

"Yes... no... I don't know!" I stumble in my confusion.

"Are you also saying that you have feelings for me?" He grins.

"Tobias!" I laugh at the situation.

"What? It's a simple question." He responds in mock defense.

"Yes but if I answer I don't know how you'll react." I say lightly.

"I swear as long as it's a good answer you'll get a good response."

"And if it's a bad answer?"

"Then I'll storm out like the Hulk from the avengers." He chuckles.

"Well then I guess I can't tell you!" I laugh along with him.

"What a shame!" He tries to frown but is only able to hold it before his mouth turns back up into a grin.

I release a small giggle and smile along with him.

I shouldn't have feelings for him. He moves too much so it definitely wouldn't work out. And he's also working with Four which makes everything very confusing. Does that mean that Tobias is famous too? Not famous enough that I would've heard of him, obviously, but he could still be famous. I don't want to be caught up in that life. And they could both easily be talking about me to each other. Everything would be complicated if I decided to be with either one.

I shake my head. I'm not going to be with them anyway. I've sworn away relationships. I have to remember Al. I'm not ever going to get caught up in something like that again.

I look up at Tobias and barely see his eyes through his sunglasses. Isn't it ironic that Tobias's features are almost identical to Four's? Maybe they're related.

"What are you thinking about?" He asks.

"Just-" Before I can answer, my phone starts to ring. I mouth 'sorry. work.' to him but he smiles and waves it off.

The call goes on for a few minutes and I'm told to hurry back to the office as soon as the call ends. I frown at that.

"Looks like I have to go. It was good talking to you, Tobias." I say dejectedly. I turn away and start to make my way to the exit.

"Wait." Tobias grabs onto my arm

A small shiver goes through my spine and I look back at him.

"Yeah?"

"Can I have your phone for a sec?" He holds his hand out, almost expectantly.

I raise my brow at him but hand it over. He starts typing in my phone and then hands it back to me.

"I put my number in, just in case. And don't worry, I texted myself so you didn't have to." He winked and walked out the door.

I follow out after and make my way towards my car. I feel my phone vibrate and realize he responded to the text he sent himself.

The one he sent from my phone reads 'hey sexy. I'm already starting to miss you :( meet up again soon?'

I laugh. Only Tobias...

But his response makes me laugh even more: 'I usually don't go for someone so desperate... but since you were kind enough to use such an endearing term, I guess I could spare an extra minute for you ;)'

What did I get myself into?


	5. Chapter 5

**Hi guys! I'm back with another update! 2 in one month(or I think so)! I wanted to thank you all for those amazing reviews, especially one special one that really made my day! I think I might start responding to some reviews if you guys would like to put up questions! Tell me what you think about this!**

LUCY1925 chapter 4 . Nov 27

I've just found and read this story and I'm so glad I did because let me tell you I'm already in love with it, really and I can't wait to read more and more... this is great and very very interesting. Hope you will update soon and thank you for writing and sharing this story, love it

LUCY1925:  
Thank you so much for this amazing review! It literally made my day to read this and inspired me to write the next chapter so soon! So thank you for that! I loved reading your review!

I haven't gotten a call or text from Tobias, and it's been three days now. Currently, I'm walking on the sidewalk in town. I'm not really sure why, but it sounded like a good idea when I thought of it. I'm not sure it was my best idea after all, because as I start to turn the corner, I hear shouting and loud, obnoxious clicks

I stop in my tracks, trying to figure out whether or not I should continue, but as always, my curiosity gets the best of me.

I peek my head around the corner of the brick wall. The shouting and clicking becomes louder. Flashes of bright lights are flooding the sidewalk. Many bodies surround a small area, all looking at the same thing.

It looks like paparazzi. I've never really seen paparazzi before, but they're in a large mass, all shouting at once to the person that currently holds their attention. The movies I've seen portray them perfectly: loud, boisterous and downright disrespectful to anyone's personal space.

Currently, they are pushing one another out of the way to get a perfect shot of a man in a hoodie. A black hoodie to be exact. It seems very familiar... but from a while back. I can vaguely remember it.

 _The bushes behind me distract my mind as they start to rustle. I don't think I've ever seen any animals around here, but hopefully it's just a rabbit. I turn from the bush and face the water again. Dark grey, like the sky, it warns me. I don't know how or why, but the waves seem angry. I scrunch my nose and shake my head. I must be delusional. I turn my head back to the bushes behind me; there aren't anymore sounds coming from that general area. The wind whips my blonde locks in front of my eyes, like it's trying to block me from seeing something. I pull the strands back behind my ears and see a man. He stands close to me, with a black hoodie on and sunglasses covering his eyes_.

Tobias.

I knew he worked with famous actors and actresses, but I had no idea it would bring him this much attention.

The paparazzi continued to yell as Tobias tried to pry his way through them.

"Four!" They yelled, "Can you tell us about the affair you're having with Jenna?"

"Four! Is it true you're filming your next movie?"

"Four! Who's going to be your date to the premiere?"

 _"Four!"_

 _"Four!"_

 _"Four!"_

They all shot questions at him, left and right. But, what bothered me was not their nosiness, but the name they were calling him. I know it's Tobias, not Four. These people have it all wrong.

They look similar, but they can't be that much alike. Also, I saw Tobias wearing that sweatshirt before. So it couldn't possibly be Four... right?

Pictures jump into my mind. First the eyes from the beach, then the eyes shining whilst we danced at the wedding, both the same. Then the scar on the same exact spot on both chins. After, the hair color, nose shape, face shape, voice, and finally, body type. All. are. the. exact. same. Why didn't I notice earlier? How did I not see it?

I see his body moving through them and I start to shake. First, it starts in my finger tips. Then, it surges through my body like a wave, a very large wave.

I think Tobias may have heard me. I don't know how he would through all that noise, maybe from the sound of my phone colliding with the ground, but I doubt that. Either way, he somehow noticed me. The man turned and walked towards me, now completely oblivious of the people surrounding him. I can't help but stare for a moment. Throughout all this chaos, he still manages to look handsome. But then I realize something, and I turn with a disapproving shake of my head.

All this time, I subconsciously knew that they were the same person, I did. I just really didn't want to believe it. And now, I'm no longer able to choose which I'd want in my life, because there is no choice between the two. If I wanted Tobias, Four would come with it, and vice versa. It's like a packaged deal. Sadly, I don't want to deal with the trouble of that life.

But this doesn't bring me down too much, because this man was able to fool me so easily. I didn't think it was him because not only was it I that didn't want me to believe it but also him, who tried so hard to hide it. And it worked. I fell so easily for his trick. I let him fool me, just like Al. I trusted him without question and the result was a lie too large to hide. And it pisses me off that he thinks he can get away with that. So. Much.

I'm not someone that can just be walked all over, and I'm gonna make that known.

I don't run. I walk fast, but I don't run from him. Why? Because someone who lies about their entire life is not worth the effort.

"Tris! Wait!" He speeds up behind me.

"Tris." he breathes a sigh of relief.

I stare at him blankly.

"What's wrong?" He cocks his brow in a confused manner.

"I'm not sure, _Four,_ what could possibly be the problem?" I twist his name, over exaggerating the pronunciation of the name in general.

"What the hell, Tris?" He questions, almost critically.

"What the hell, Four? Or should I say Tobias?" I glare deep into his eyes and watch the realization hit him like a ton of stones.

Game over.

"Dammit." He mumbles under his breath. "Look, Tris, I can explain."

"Like hell you can, but it won't change the fact that you lied to me." I roll my eyes.

"I know... I did lie to you. But-"

"Don't even try to explain yourself. It's just a waste of breath. Whatever we had before is done, so don't think anything will change." I turn away from him start to leave.

"Tris, don't you think you're being a little dramatic about this? I have my reasons just like everyone else!" He yells. I stop in my tracks.

"And this is why I shouldn't have fallen for you at all. Every man I've encountered just screws me over." I flip him off as I walk away.

And the last thing I hear him say is: "She fell for me?"

I did. But now I'm over it.


	6. Chapter 6

**Okay so I guess I'll keep up with the responses to the reviews since it didn't seem to bother anyone. But before I do that, thank you all who responded to to my question. It was extremely helpful! Now to the responses:**

 **LUCY1925:**

 **Thank you for your response yet again! I know I can always look forward to seeing yours every time I post a chapter which I love! Also thanks for the review! You gave me some ideas as to what I want to do in the chapter! Thanks!**

 **246:**

 **Thank you so much for responding! This definitely helped out a ton and gave me ideas for the story! I'm happy to hear that you think my story's good! Hearing that made my day! Thank you!**

 **Now it's time for chapter 6! Just to make you guys aware, there will be a few sexual references and such so skip over that part if it bothers you. Tell me what you all think about this. Thank you for all previous reviews! I hope you all enjoy it!**

A ringing sound interrupts my deep sleep. I look over at my bedside table and see my phone light up. I wait for my eyes to adjust to the light. It says _missed call from Christina_ and above it is the time.

Why is Chris calling me at two in the morning?

I yawn then pick up the rectangular device. I tap Christina's name and watch the screen change, barely able to process it with my lack of sleep.

"Tris." She states with an almost panicked voice.

"What's wrong?" I respond in alarm, my groggy state leaving me completely.

"There's something going on." She speaks cautiously.

"Again, what's wrong?" I repeat.

"Just so you're aware, this isn't about me. It's about you, Tris."

I take time to process it, not really sure what could be happening. I haven't done anything wrong lately, have I?

"What do you mean?"

"Look up Four online. You'll understand after you see that."

"Okay.." I trail off thinking of what he could have done, and how Chris knew that we were even talking.

I type his name into the Google search bar and multiple articles titled 'Four's Mystery Woman' and such.

I click on the top link. My eyes frantically searched the picture that appears right under the title.

The photo displays Four walking straight towards a woman. A woman with blonde hair and a petite figure. She's wearing leggings with a light blue top. It's funny because she kinda looks like me. But it couldn't be me, because she looks almost gorgeous standing on the corner or the sidewalk. I don't look like that.

I scan the picture yet again and know that it is me. I own the same clothes, have the same hair, and was standing at that exact same place yesterday. It's strange how these pictures look. They must've gotten a really good angle.

I continue to scroll down the page in disbelief. The captions underneath call me his 'mystery woman' and an 'angelic secret'. The words then describe me to have 'alluring eyes' as it exhibits a picture of Tobias and I talking. I've never seen my eyes so blue. They are on fire. The picture almost seems to mistake it for attraction, but I know it is a combination of that and anger.

It should be purely anger but I can't help but be drawn in when I'm with him, whether or not I'm angry.

The last picture is one of my silhouette leaving. Tobias stands behind, frozen. Someone was taking the picture at the perfect spot. They were able to capture the front of his face. His eyes look deeply troubled and his brows furrow down atop of them. The blue orbs look completely dark. His features are all sunken. He looks like he just lost his mom. Even his posture is slouching which makes him look like he's in pain.

He's hurting from what happened. He regrets it, or at least he did in that moment. I can't help but feel for him, and I'm the one that he hurt!

Underneath the picture the words 'Trouble in paradise?" appear and underneath paragraphs are written questioning how long we have been together and what we could possibly experiencing. With the way Four looks, anyone would assume that we had been a long term couple that just broke up.

After all that information, the website states that they are currently trying to identify this mysterious woman. Then it says they will have the information up in a few days.

I inhale shakily and call Christina again.

"So... what do you think?" she asks.

"I don't know." I reply without emotion.

"Since when did you talk to Four?" She requires.

"I... I don't know." I struggle to form a coherent thought. Too many things are flying around in my brain.

"How do you not know?"

"Well I met 'Four' at your wedding. But I also met him earlier. But it wasn't the same." My voice comes out thick.

"Oh honey," she sympathizes,"What did I miss?"

"A lot." I state.

"Wanna tell me?"

I nod my head and know that she somehow understood.

I break out into the story of Tobias and I encountering on the beach. Then, I tell her about the wedding and go on to tell her about how we became close. After all that, I talk about yesterday's occurrences.

She makes little comments throughout my story, to keep me aware that she's listening.

After I finish, she calls him a douche for lying. I laugh in agreement. But then she tells me that he might have reasons for not telling me. The reasonable side of me agrees, but my petty side defends itself, and so I use my petty reasoning to guide my words to her.

She then tells me I just need to blow off some steam and then we can talk about the subject later. Christina's right.

"What do you suggest I do?" I question.

"Meet me tomorrow at my house at 7:30. I have the perfect solution." She demands

"Okay." 

I get to Chris's house after a long day of work and walk through the already unlocked door.

"Hey!" She exclaims.

She is dressed in a short black dress with a deep v-neck. Her dark hair is pulled back making her look extremely sexy.

"Hey." I reply.

"Ready for tonight?"

"I guess so." I sigh.

Christina drags me up the stairs to her stylish bedroom. It has classy black and whites that compliment each other and a silver chandelier above her bed.

She takes me through a door to her walk-in-closet complete with a vanity and 2 full mirrors.

Chris sits me in the chair in front of her. She turns my body away from the mirror and begins beautifying me.

A long time later, she proclaims my hair and makeup as 'perfect' and pulls out a dress. Chris then orders me to put it on.

I grab it reluctantly. Once it is on, she places nude heels on my feet and pulls me to a mirror.

I grin at the reflection in front of me. I stand in a deep red dress that is extremely form-fitting. It has a v-neck with straps that cross over my chest making my cleavage look even more defined. It continues down to the middle of my thighs, completely tight. My eyes are complimented with bronze eyeshadow and eyeliner and my lips are slathered with the same color as my dress. My hair cascades down my back in wavy curls.

"You're miracle worker!" I hug her tightly.

"No, I'm just defining your features." Christina hugs me back. "Let's go, Tris!"

We get in her car and arrive at a club 15 minutes later. Of course.

We walk inside after a long wait and go straight to the bar. I yell my order over all the noise and Chris must do the same but I don't hear her.

The man hands my martini to me and I go to hand my card to him, but a hand pushes it away.

I look over to see a man with brown hair handing the bartender his card. He turns back to look at me and flashes a bright smile. He's cute. Definitely not Four, but he's got a strong body and mischievous green eyes. I smirk at him and yell 'thank you' over the noise. He nods and asks to dance.

I turn back to look at Christina and she encourages me to go with him. I take his hand and we go into a crowd of people.

My body moves to the deep bass along with his. We stand about a foot apart and dance on our own. Our dancing continues to be innocent until he grabs onto my hips and turns me so my back is grazing his abdomen, and that's not the only thing that's touching. I resume my dance and he goes along with me. The beat drops and I go down along with it. I then slide slowly and sensually back up his body. I feel the bump in his pants and grind into him. He moans and pulls my hips tighter into him.

"I'm Peter." He gasps into my ear.

"Tris." I shout in return.

I move energetically as he keeps his hold on me. I turn my head to look at him. His green eyes show a desire. Not only that, but something that also sends a chill up my spine. I start to rethink my idea of dancing with him and pull away. He grabs back onto me and yanks me into him.

"Dance." He strains through gritted teeth.

I don't know how to react so I slowly sway to the music. He traces his fingers down the outline of my hips and move his hand left so his hand lays onto of my ass. He then continues to grab it and squeeze roughly. I turn back to look at him.

"Can you not do that?" I say.

"I'm not doing anything." Peter tells me, feigning innocence.

"Fine. If you're not going to respect me then I won't dance with you." I reply strongly.

"Yes you will." His voice becomes louder.

He takes my body and puts it flush against his. He grinds his hips into mine as I struggle to free myself. He wraps one arm around my body so I'm immobile and places the other on my breast. I squirm under his grasp.

"Stop!"

"I'll tell you when I want to stop." He growls.

I look around desperately for anyone to help. They're all dancing mindlessly.

He grinds roughly against me yet again.

"Please." I beg unable to move either arm due to his one arm wrapped around me.

He shakes his head.

"I believe she told you to stop." A deep voice comes out of no where.

"Tobias." I whisper barely loud enough that I can hear. He stands in front of me in a black jacket, hat, and sunglasses, but I could recognize that voice anywhere.

"I don't think you have a say in what I do with her." Peter challenges.

"I wouldn't try that." Tobias says as Peter continues to grind into me.

Peter doesn't stop so Tobias winds his arm back. Every thing that happens next seems to go in slow motion. His fist makes a direct beeline to Peter's face. I listen to the loud crack of his jaw. His grip on me loosens and I hurry behind Tobias. Tobias throws one more punch at Peter and he drops to the ground, completely senseless.

Tobias turns to me immediately after.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah." I answer a little shakily. "Thank you."

"Of course. I'm just glad you're okay." He pulls me into a warm hug.

I inhale deeply and let his scent fill my nostrils. It's extremely calming. And he also smells amazing.

He releases me and suggests that we leave. I agree and we make our way out of the club.

"Are you sure you're okay." He questions me with a concerned face.

"Yes. Thank you for helping me, though."

"Of course." He replies.

We walk in an awkward silence into the parking lot and just when it starts to become unbearable, he speaks:

"Tris, I'm sorry. Not just about what happened here, but yesterday and pretty much everything leading up to today." He refers to not only our argument, but also the pictures.

"I know." I think back to the last picture the paparazzi took of him.

"Wait... so you forgive me?" He asks hopefully.

"Yes." I say calmly.

"Thank God." Tobias mumbles.

I laugh lightly.

"So now that that's all over..." He starts,"I believe I heard you say that you fell for me?"

I giggle at this.

"Hm... Maybe you heard me wrong." I tease.

"I don't believe I did." He mockingly placed his fingers on his chin.

"Okay so maybe you didn't." I relent with a playful sigh.

"Good because I have a confession: I might be falling for you too."

"Oh really?" I say lightly.

"Yes really." He states in full seriousness.

"Well then what do we do now?" I quiz him.

"I guess this..." His voice is trails off.

He turns over to me and takes my face in both hands. He presses a long, soft kiss onto my lips. I push back into his lightly and feel butterflies rise up into my stomach. I pull away, eyes wide, for I have never had that happen to me before. Whatever's going on is something I've never experienced, and I don't know how to feel about it.

"What?" He inquires hurriedly. "Too soon?"

"No. It's perfect timing." I smile, pulling his lips back to mine. The same feeling overcomes me and I do the only thing that I can: kiss him harder.

 **So what do you guys think? Good or bad? Sorry if there's any grammar mistakes or anything, I typed this whole thing tonight and I'm so tired. Please review!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hey guys! I know my updates have been so inconsistent and I keep on having to apologize for it. :( Please just keep up with my story as I update. I can't promise any updates anytime soon but I'll work with the time I have! Enjoy the next chapter!**

Tobias proposed that we go out today. I agreed but I made him aware that we had to talk.

I prep for our date by curling my hair into loose, blonde ringlets. Christina came over to help with my makeup. First, Chris paints concealer under my eyes and tells me I have no need for foundation. Christina then moves on and explains how she does my eyeshadow simply, fading light browns and pale colors into one another. They almost match my skin color, according to her. After, she draws on a small amount of liquid eyeliner that makes my eyes pop. She grabs a black mascara afterwards and layers it on.

"Are we done?" I ask her calmly.

She examines me from head to toe and nods her head cheerily.

"Thank the Lord." I mumble under my breath.

She shakes her head with a laugh and pulls me to the mirror. Earlier I put on a pair of jeans with a white patterned off-the-shoulder top but I wasn't aware that once my hair and makeup were completed that it would look so good.

A small smile makes it's way onto my face and I turn before she can see my reflection in the mirror.

"Ready?" She asks.

"I guess so." I laugh anxiously after my statement.

"It'll go well, I promise." Chris pulls me into a hug.

At that moment, my doorbell rings. Christina squeezes my arm and tells me she'll stay hidden until I walk out the door with Tobias. I'm glad to have someone who can be invested yet not obnoxiously involved in my relationship with Tobias.

I open up the door to a tall, dark haired man that is holding flowers.

"Hey!" I say.

"Hi, Tris." Tobias pulls me into a warm hug and hands me the bouquet of roses.

I thank him and then run inside to put them in a vase. As soon as I come back to the door, he grabs my hand and leads me to his car, a white Jeep. I don't know much about cars but I do know how much I love Jeeps.

We start to drive to our destination and he turns up the radio. We sing along loudly and nothing about the ride feels awkward.

After about fifteen minutes of driving, we arrive in front of a small yet nice restaurant. He pulls behind the building and hops out of the car. Tobias walks around the car quickly to open my door before I do. I grin at him and hop out of the car.

He walks straight towards the back door and I raise my brows at him, confused.

"What?" He says in response to my facial expression.

"We're going through there?" I point at the back door.

"Oh yeah. I know the owners. They let me come through the back as long as I visit every once in a while." He states.

"Is it necessary to go through the back?" I ask.

"It's easier. I don't like getting pictures taken of me while I'm eating and I'm sure you feel the same."

"Oh yeah... I forgot that you're kinda famous." I mumble sheepishly.

He just chuckles and brings me through the door. Inside is a bustling kitchen that Tobias walks straight through, nodding and waving at some employees. I follow him feeling a bit out of place. We get out into a decently sized room that has dim lighting and tables arranged neatly.

"T!" A man approaches us with a grin on his face.

"Hey Amar!" He greets him with a genuine smile, one that I don't see him use towards most people.

"Who's this?" Amar nods in my direction.

"I'm Tris." I introduce myself.

"Well, Tris, nice to meet you." He reaches out his hand and shakes mine.

"You too." I smile lightly.

"Are you Four's date?" He questions.

I look at Tobias to see if I'm allowed to answer but instead she answers for me.

"Yeah, she is."

"You must be one special girl. He never brings girls here." He winks at me then directs his attention to Four, who is currently glaring at him.

"Which table do you want?" Amar asks Tobias.

"I thought you'd know by now." Four teases.

"You know I already do." He leads us to a table secluded in the back.

"Thanks, Amar."

Amar nods and walks away.

"So I'm the first girl you've ever taken here?" I wiggle my eyebrows at him in a joking manner.

"Hah. Yeah actually you are."

"Why's that?" I question.

"I guess none of the other girls really made an impression on me." He states.

"...But I did?" I'm slow to ask.

"Yeah, you're different." He winks.

"I'll take that as a compliment." I laugh.

"It was meant as one."

I blush lightly.

"You know, you don't really seem famous." I ponder aloud.

"What do you mean?" He asks.

"I'm not really sure. You just seem normal."

"Would you like to elaborate on that?" He chuckles.

"Well when we talk I don't feel like it's superficial. That's one thing. Another is that like most actors seem conceited and self-absorbed but I've never seen you act like that." I reply.

"Well thank you. That's actually a really nice compliment." He smiles genuinely at me.

"You're welcome!" I grin back at him.

"So you said we have to talk?" Tobias questions almost nervously.

"Yeah..." I drag it out.

He raises his eyebrow at me, quizzically.

"Okay. So I know I said I forgave you about everything, but that doesn't mean we're going to automatically be okay. Don't get me wrong, I have feelings for you, but I'm not interested in all the attention that 'Four' brings." I let out my feelings to him.

"Are you saying that you don't want to be with me?" He hesitates to ask.

"No, no. It's not that." I reassure him.

"Then what is it?" Tobias almost whispers.

"Tobias, you have to know that I haven't dated or even been remotely interested in anyone for over a year. The idea of dating someone is overwhelming. The idea of dating someone like you is unimaginable." I state.

"Because I'm famous?"

"It's not that you're famous, it's what comes with it. Not only that, but you didn't even think to mention that you were." I tell him.

"Tris, I didn't tell you because the idea of being able to just be me felt so alluring. I didn't have to fake anything with you. I could just be Tobias, not some man from a romance movie that would hold me to unattainable standards." He explains.

"You hid your entire life from me! I understand wanting a break from all that, I do, but after you knew how I acted around you when you were Four, why did you continue to hide it after. I treated you the same when I knew you were famous. It seems like you just wanted to keep it a secret." I retaliate.

He places his hand on his temple and rubs the skin roughly, like he's trying to ease a headache.

"I couldn't figure out how to tell you. You're right, I did like that you didn't know, but that's not why I like you. I just couldn't find the time or place, and I was afraid to scare you away."

"That can't happen if we want to go any further. What if you just happen to forget to tell me something else, something big, and I find out? I would not give you another chance, just so you're aware. I know it's early and it's a mistake, but I just need to know that I can trust you." I slowly get quieter with each word that I speak.

"Everything that I did to hurt you was not intentional. I'll try my hardest to be honest with you, just be aware that I'm secretive and I don't trust people easily." Tobias says.

"I don't expect you to tell me everything. Everyone has their secrets. Just please don't hide something so big in your life from me, or something that could affect what's happening with us."

"I will try my hardest not to." He looks at me, promisingly.

"Same goes for me, so you can hold me to these standards." I tell him.

"So does that mean that we can try having a relationship?" He sheepishly smiles.

"I'll probably move slow..." I mumble.

"That's okay." He grins.

"Okay." I laugh.

"Well then, Tris, will you be my girlfriend?" He shows a small, hopeful smile.

"Yes!" I giggle.

The smile on his face brightens and stretches farther than I thought was possible. He leans over and mumbles 'thank God' before placing a light kiss on my lips.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! No PDA in my restaurant!" Amar walks towards us yelling at us in mock anger.

"Shut up, Amar." Four leans back over and kisses me again, just to spite him.

I can't stop the bubbles of laughter that slip out of my mouth throughout this entire occurrence. Tonight is a good night.


End file.
